Problem-solving appraisal, self-reported study habits, and performance of academically at-risk college students.

Abstract

We examined the relations among problem-solving appraisal, self-reported study habits, and academic performance for 63 college students enrolled in a developmental course for academically unprepared students. The participants completed measures of self-appraise d problem-solving ability and study habits. Indexes of academic ability and performance were also collected. Regression analyses revealed that problem-solving appraisal was significantly predictive of study habits and semester grade-point average. The results indicate that problem-solving appraisal is related to study habits and academic performance among academically at-risk students, and they suggest that problem-solving appraisal encompasses more than social skill. The study of personal problem-solving ability and adjustment has accelerated considerably since Heppner's (1978) seminal review. Before that article the study of problemsolving skills was largely removed from real-life applications in general and counseling in particular. With the development of a valid and reliable measure of self-appraise d problemsolving ability, the Problem Solving Inventory (PSI; Heppner & Peterson, 1982; Heppner, 1988), an impressive literature has examined the relation between personal problem solving and adaptive behavior. This work has been guided by a theoretical conception of problem solving as a metacognitive variable (Butler & Meichenbaum, 1981) that serves a crucial function in the way a person perceives and experiences different aspects of the problem-solving process. Self-appraised problem solving, then, does not connote actual problemsolving skills but rather the individual perception of personal problem-solving ability, approach-avoidance style when one anticipates a problematic situation, and perceived control over personal abilities and subjective experience (Heppner, 1978, 1988). Research with the PSI has been predominately descriptive. Studies have found that research participants who appraise their problem-solving ability to be effective are less depressed and distressed than ineffective problem-solvers under general conditions (Heppner & Anderson, 1985; Heppner, Baumgardner, & Jackson, 1985; Heppner, Hibel, Neal, Weinstein, & Rabinowitz, 1982; Heppner, Kampa, & Brunning, 1987; Nezu, 1985, 1986a) or under stressful ones (Nezu, 1986b; Nezu, Nezu, Saraydarian, Kalmar, & Ronan, 1986). Other Appreciation is extended to Al Farrell for his consultation with regard to the statistical procedures used in this study. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to